Zamioculcas Care
Light:Enjoys bright light but can still live happily in low light areas. Avoid direct sunlight as you may burn the foliage.
Water: Really does not want much water. Allow the soil to completely dry on top before watering, then moderately moisten all the soil. Better to under water than over water with the Zammy. The most common problem people have is overwatering, which can cause rhizome and root rot. A few leaves turning yellow and falling off is natural but if quite a few are doing this, it is most likely caused by overwatering.
Fertilizer: The Zammy wants some balanced liquid fertilizer during the warmer months of spring and summer. Always apply fertilizer to moist soil to avoid it running straight to the roots and burning them. Also avoid getting fertilizer on the foliage.
Temperature: Normal room temperature of 16c to 24c is great. Never lower than 8-9c.
Humidity: Normal household humidity is fine, however if you have an air-conditioning unit which dries the air then giving the plant extra humidity (by spraying or an evaporation tray) to compensate helps keep it healthy.
Pests: A common pest to the Zammy is aphids, they like the sap from the plant. Symptoms of an aphid infestation are yellow marks or spots on your plants. You may have to look closely, especially under the leaves, for aphids as they blend in quite well. The infestation can be removed by wiping it away with warm soapy water.
Soil: Most decent well draining potting mix will make your Zammy happy. A higher concentration of perlite or sand in the mix indicates it will drain better.
Pot Size: Repotting once a year at the beginning of Spring is advised.
Pruning: Remove yellowing leaves immediately. If one stem grows much longer than the others, the best option is to cut it completely off otherwise it tends to look a bit weird.
Propagation: Pretty easy to propagate, especially if you have rooting hormone. You can divide the rhizome or take leaf cuttings, apply rooting hormone to the cut edge if you have it and then place them on top of a damp towel or soil and let them grow in a high humidity, high temperature environment. Can take up to a year to root fully.
Poisonous Plant Info: All parts of this plant are considered toxic to humans and pets. Consult your doctor if you or your pet ingest any part of this plant.